Acadia/Bar Harbor Area...

In article ,
C. Hurst wrote:
Have you been to Baxter to hike part of The Trail?

Baxter is where Katahdin is. As mentioned, we didn't make it,
although I had wanted to go. The day we could go, they were talking
lightning at the summit, and were totally fogged in.

it might be a viable option if Bar Harbor turns out to be...a
"K-mart" adventure...

Well, we seem to have done many of the same things, and I liked it.
It wasn't great for the town per se, but it was fine. I intend to
return at some point, and to catch Baxter.

What state do you live in?

I am from Indiana and now live in California. I'll be completing
my own circuit of "the 48" this summer, in my case currently lacking
Wyoming and South Dakota. It'll be another couple of years before
I make it to all of the National Parks in those 48, though. We're
actually doing a big loop, through Arizona and Texas (Big Bend),
up through Indiana to visit my parents, and then back out through
South Dakota and Wyoming. One sure highlight is a stay at Phantom
Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

On 8 Feb 2005 09:54:29 -0800, (Todd Michel McComb)
wrote:

In article ,
C. Hurst wrote:
I suppose I am expecting another quaint New England town... Is it
a "Gatlingburg" experience? I was thinking more historical
buildings...et al..

Probably a mix of the two. The architecture is not notable in Bar
Harbor, at least that I saw.

Might just plan a single day there. Have you been to Baxter to hike
part of The Trail? Hadn't really given it any thought...but one of
the responses in this thread mentioned it...and it might be a viable
option if Bar Harbor turns out to be...a "K-mart" adventure...

(really hoping not)

Is there much in the way of hiking in the park?

It's not a real big park, and you are never all that far from a
road, but there are some more secluded spots, and with the shuttle
you can do one-way hikes for a longer experience. We mostly walked
from attraction to attraction, while other people mostly drove.

I think hiking would be the way to go

As far as the weather, it was mostly cool and foggy. But the sun
did come out and it got warm. So you never know. I guess our
experience was typical weather-wise.
When were you there? Month?

It's a National Park, and I haven't been to one yet that wasn't
exciting in its own way. It's definitely worth visiting.
Agreed. Even the Mojave had its own particular desolate "magic".

What state do you live in?


Carla (...still in a soggy cornfield in Indiana...)

" In Bar Harbor you can rent ocean kayaks and there
are whale watch boats and boats that take you out to see where the seals
hang out.
Did you take your trip during the "whale season" as it were? The
Acadia National Park guide mentioned it being in the midst of when we
are taking our trip. Did you do the "whale boat" adventure?

We had done a whale watch trip in Portsmith, NH, and also in
Tadoussac, Quebec, so we opted to go out and see the seals. The seals
amazed me - the water temperature was 47F, and the seals were basking on
rocky little islands. We also saw some bird life along the shore. An aside
about hikes: A walk that was nice was on a path right along the shore but
up high - don't recall the name of it. Another thought about the boat
trips - be sure to bring some warm clothing even if it's a warm day on
shore. The air is cooled by the very cold ocean temperature off the coast.

The water is freezing so those teens aren't going swimming.

I have heard that the weather can still be cold in June.. I was hoping
mid-July would be better. I imagine any "swimming" would probably be
done in a hotel or Inn. Is the temp (outside) still bad mid-July?

We were there in August. I found the ocean too cold for me, but
then I am from Florida. However, I swam in Echo Lake and enjoyed it. I was
told that the best place to swim in the ocean is Crescent Beach (I think
that was the name of it) as it has a crescent shape which made it a bit more
protected and warmer.

TomCAt wrote:
As someone who has been to Bar Harbor numerous times, I wouldn't go
back for
the life of me.

You realize there's sorta a self contradictory, yogiesque tone
to that right? You did go back.

"No one goes there anymore, it's too crowded".

In mid July you can expect
90 degrees, or 50 degrees, blazing sun, or rain, or fog, visibility of 20+
nautical miles or you-can't-see-your-hand-in-front-of-your-face.
You can expect a little of each every day.
In other words, the only thing predictable about Maine weather is that you
can't predict it at all. Last summer was horrible. We had so much fog and
the ocean temp never came up, even down here in southern Maine (I am just
outside Portland). We took the boat south to avoid the fog and ended up in
Portsmouth NH and Newburyport MA. But at it's very best, I have never seen
the ocean temp even approach 70 down here. As soon as you go south of Cape
Cod Massachusetts, that all changes. It is the cold ocean temps that give
us the fog troubles. June is known for fog, July SHOULD be better.
Momma
"C. Hurst" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 08 Feb 2005 16:26:50 GMT, "Everyboysmomma"
wrote:

Hi Carla
I live in Cape Elizabeth Maine and have to put in my two cents worth. The
weather here CAN be very iffy. But it is absolutely gorgeous. We will be
spending a week in Bar Harbor this summer (July 2-10). We will be taking
our boat up the coast and staying on her (35' power boat) at the marina
right in down town Bar Harbor.
Sounds great! Mid-july what can I expect weather-wise?

This is our second trip doing this. From
Cape Elizabeth, it is about 6 hours underway. Yes, the town will be
loaded
with tourists. Same as all the other National Park towns in summer.
Yes. Last summer (late June-Early July) we did The Painted Desert,
The Grand Canyon, The Mojave, Big Sur, The Basin, Yosemite, The
Arches, ...the whole "Lower Western United States" tour. Places get
busy. I can generally find a niche.

I did
not find anyone to be rude nor offensive. I do know that the traffic
around
the park backs up so that it is just a crawl at some times. Maybe it is
my
goodie-two-shoes attitude, but in my opinion, you see more when you go
slowly.
I agree...when we travel we tend to meander...and I've seen the most
interesting stuff and met the most interesting people that way...

We are going specifically to bike more of the carriage roads. They
are outstanding and some of the vistas are magnificent. I also want to
climb Cadillac mountain and see what it is like when everything is not
frozen solid, as the first time I did this was in the first week of
January
and you could see all the way to Nova Scotia because the sky was so clear.
As far as whale watches go, our entire trip up will be one, so we don't
take
one of the organized ones, but I have done so in other places that I've
visited and have never been disappointed.

There is an island off the coast
of Maine called Matinicus Rock. It is home to thousands of Puffins, and
if
you can find a whale watch that goes out there, I would highly recommend
that trip. Even having hundreds of them fly right over the bow of our
boat,
we still could not believe they were real.

I'll watch for this. Sounds like something we would all enjoy

As far as water temps go... you will NOT be swimming in the ocean. I live
here and I can't do it. The water temp at Sand Beach in Acadia tops out
at
around 50 in mid summer. Brisk does not cover this. It is water so cold
that when you get out you count your toes to make sure they didn't freeze
and fall off.
LOL! Didn't really expect to, though. I LOVE to walk beaches...even
rocky beaches...but the whole "swimming" in the ocean thing is
something akin to being "flake" fish food... People grasp that Ravens
have learned that humans/coolers mean food...and that raccoons have
learned that dumpsters mean food...and black bears will open your car
like a can of sardines for a Big Mac...and the bluegill (fish) will
follow you around the edge of the dock on a pond near our house when
you are crumbling bread crumbs in the water...but they haven't made
that giant leap that shark enjoy an easy food source as well...I think
in the next 10 years we will learn this lesson.

But many of the inns have pools, and I have heard that many
of the lakes in the park are swimmable. The last time we were there was
the
summer of 99 or 00, I can't remember which... but it was so hot out that
week, and there was so much water around us, but just dipping in my feet
gave me leg cramps!! I finally filled our inflatable dingy, let it warm
up
in the sun, tied it to the big boat, and floated around in that. I am
sure
I made it onto America's Funniest Home Videos via someone's vacation
tapes..

LOL! I'll watch for this
I've had those AFHV moments on some of my trips as well...
My first street car ride in New Orleans (years ago) lasted about 5
minutes. Got on the car at the last stop before the
end-of-the-line... The cable driver thought it was the funniest
thing...then he suggested that "maybe" I was wanting the other car
(that heads to Canal Street) Everybody is a comedian.

From Bar Harbor you can also take a day trip on the CAT, the high speed
ferry to Nova Scotia.
So, my recommendations to you a Make reservations early. We already
have our slip spaced booked. The entire area fills up. If you are not
bringing your own bikes, reserve those too. If Bar Harbor is too touristy
for you, check also into Baxter State Park, which is home to Mt Katahdin
and
a piece of the Appalachian trail. But Baxter doesn't have the ocean
vistas
of Acadia. For Christmas I bought my husband 3 books on Acadia and this
time it is his turn to plan all of our activities while we are there!!
Get
some books and start reading.
If I can give you any more detailed information on anything, please feel
free to contact me at
sbothel at maine dot rr dot com
Momma

Thanks...as our trip gets closer I may e-you with those last minute
jitters


Carla

"TomCAt" wrote in message
...
Carla, I don't want to ruin your mental picture of Bar Harbor but the
place is the "pits".

The tourists, and you will add to the number, are not just overcrowding,
they are over everything. The place is an urban jungle. Oh, did I forget
the RV House on Wheels crowd. They absolutely must drive their house on
wheels to Bar Harbor every year or else. The diesel engine in the RV
stinks
up the whole place. And as for the people who own and drive the things:
dumb does not begin to get to the root of their mental deficiencies.
These
people are STUPID. They think driving around in a $300,000 dollar plastic
house is CAMPING. They love saying stuff like "how are
yooooooouuuuuuuuuu".

Weather, Maine, the big lie. Next time you are at the bookstore, take a
look at one of those picture book about the coast of Maine. That is what
you won't see. Nope, what you will see is fog, fog, more fog and rain
rain
rain and more rain and ... then it will be cold, especially at night. Oh,
and all the spots that have the beautiful vista's ... private property. I
have two words for you .. Martha Stewart. She lives next town over from
Bar
Harbor. She is an evil witch. And, there are many Marth Stewarts in Bar
Harbor. All rich, and they all hate tourists.

The next city to Bar Harbor is Elsworth. It is less expensive because it
is
ugly, dirty, smelly, and no one wants to go near the place. In fact,
Maine
is not a very scenic place in general. Sure, if you own a home on the
ocean
( Maine is one of a couple of states that lets landowners own the land
right
down to the water which keeps the rift raft away from the ocean so the
rich
folks from NY, NJ, Philly etc don't need to be bothered ) ........ nope,
you will be in Bar Harbor. The place is one big Ponzi scheme.

If you are determined to visit Maine, get a boat. I have sailed the
entire
coast and that is the only way to visit. Even then, you might not see
anything for a week in summer due to fog.

Hey, ever been to North Carolina? Now, that is a nice coast. Warm water,
beautiful beaches, Nice people, no fog ..........

Go south ...

As an occasional visitor to Maine, I must take issue with all that was said.
Well except for the cool and fog. But then again, when it's 90 and muggy
inland, I'll take cool and fog!

I love the rocky Maine coast...love to explore the rocks and tidal pools. I
hate lying on a beach in the hot sun.

On Tue, 08 Feb 2005 12:30:29 -0500, C. Hurst wrote:

On 8 Feb 2005 07:56:16 -0800, (Todd Michel McComb)
wrote:

In article ,
C. Hurst wrote:
When we reached Pier 39 (and later Fisherman's Wharf) in San Fran
(on the way down) they proclaimed it a "K-Mart" and suggested that
we head back to Big Sur.

OK, the town of Bar Harbor itself is a bit like that.
I suppose I am expecting another quaint New England town... Is it a
"Gatlingburg" experience? I was thinking more historical
buildings...et al..

Bar Harbor was a preserve of the very rich until the mid 20th century.
The town itself was mostly just support services for the mansions and
a residence for their employees. There was a terrible fire at some
point which destroyed a good part of the island including some of the
fabulous mansions. There are still some historic mansions left, but I
don't think they give tours, and they are not visible from the roads.
Some of the boat tours point them out from the shore.

I've never been to Gatlinburg, but I've been to other parts of the
periphery of the Smoky Mountains, and Bar Harbor is not at all like
that. It's a summer resort town, but has a fair number of permanent
residents. I camped there once when my children were small and I
stayed in a B&B there more recently with my husband. We took several
nice bike rides and long walks along the coast. You can see plenty
that is typical of a New England coastal town, including lobster
fisherman. In the center of town there are lots of ice cream shops and
other tourist-oriented businesses, but you don't have to hang out in
the center of town if you don't like it. There are more remote parts
of the island, such as Northeast Harbor and Seal Harbor, but these are
mostly residential areas, and the residents are likely to be a whole
lot richer than you and me. Actually, during the depression my mother
used to summer in Bar Harbor: she was a nursemaid for a wealthy
Philadelphia family who had a summer "cottage" there.



Really,
nothing in Acadia is all that remote, although there are some islands
as part of the park and you could rent a boat to row over there (we
didn't do that).
That sounds good...we may try that...

Also, we climbed Cadillac Mountain on foot, via
the "notch" route along one side, and then back down. It's a little
weird to get to the top (and it's fairly short, but also a steep
climb) to people waddling out of their air conditioned cars, but
it was still fun and a little satisfying.

This sounds like something the husband-person and I (and the boys)
would enjoy. Is there much in the way of hiking in the park?


One thing we wanted to do out there, but ended up not doing because
the weather was iffy the whole time, was climb Katahdin, which is the
northernmost end of the Appalachian Trail. According to my notes,
it's about a 4 hour drive from Bar Harbor.

We will have 18 days... I know that we are going to spend a day in
Toronto and a day in New York City on the way there. I think hiking
part of the Trail up there would be great (and didn't really think
about it) Thanks! Great idea

Just a gypsy,

Carla

--
Barbara Vaughan

My email address is my first initial followed by my last name at libero dot it.

On Tue, 08 Feb 2005 09:39:07 -0500, C. Hurst wrote:

I noticed how expensive things seem to be in Bar Harbor (brochures)
but certainly on the outside of the parks/cities there must be better
prices.

The B&B where my husband and I stayed was in the center of Bar Harbor
and was very reasonable. It was owned by an eccentric man and many of
the guests seemed to be long-term repeat customers. Some of them were
more eccentric than he. The name of the place escapes me at the moment
.... if I remember it I'll repost. This B&B also rented bikes, which we
used for our excursions. In any case, there are lots of bike rental
places in Bar Harbor.


--
Barbara Vaughan

My email address is my first initial followed by my last name at libero dot it.

On 8 Feb 2005 10:30:32 -0800, (Todd Michel McComb)
wrote:
I am from Indiana and now live in California. I'll be completing
my own circuit of "the 48" this summer, in my case currently lacking
Wyoming and South Dakota. It'll be another couple of years before
I make it to all of the National Parks in those 48, though. We're
actually doing a big loop, through Arizona and Texas (Big Bend),
up through Indiana to visit my parents, and then back out through
South Dakota and Wyoming. One sure highlight is a stay at Phantom
Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.


Some of us are just gypsies at heart, I think...

You'll LOVE South Dakota...so much to see/do Custer State Park has
pigtail bridges, an array of wildlife ( Bighorn sheep, mountain goats,
prairie dogs, buffalo, pronghorn deer, burro), incredible hiking...
The Crazy Horse Memorial, The Badlands National Park...The Air-Space
Museum...We did the Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South
Dakota trip in 2001 The boys hiked like mountain goats all over the
Badlands. It was a great trip.

I've never been to the Phantom Ranch. Will have to keep this in mind.
Would like to get back to Page and photograph some of the slot
canyons. During our last trip it has recently rained nearby making it
dangerous to hike into a slot.

Thanks for the info

Carla